


One Last Dance

by thatfantasyworldofmine



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-21 12:38:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1550762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatfantasyworldofmine/pseuds/thatfantasyworldofmine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the 2014 NewWho Fic Olympics, is the Doctor a little green-eyed towards the latest companion?</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Last Dance

"So she’ll grow up nicer than before?" Rose double checked as she led the way back into the TARDIS, turning mid-step to scrutinise her companions. "She won’t go off and try to sell the Earth or kill anyone?"

"She’ll have a second chance at life," the Doctor’s deep northern accent corrected her, closing the doors on the hatchery who were happily playing with their new egg, and heading for the TARDIS console, dusting off his hands on his jacket.

"It’ll be up to her new parents to raise her right," Jack added, practically skipping to the console and spinning a dial experimentally. "Or whatever substitutes for "right" on Raxacoricofallapatorious."

"Oi!" the Doctor protested, reaching over and swatting his hand away. Jack backed off, hands raised, and winked at Rose. Rose smirked at his good humour, relieved to finally have put the threat of Margaret the Slitheen behind them, and eager for a restful few days without saving the world.

"So where are we off to next?" Jack’s American twang resonated through the console room. Rose’s shoulders slumped; she got up on the captain’s chair and leaned back, suppressing a yawn. So much for restful.

Fortunately for the tired human, the Doctor was more attuned to her than he let on. “We’ll drift for a while,” he decided with a nod, setting the co-ordinates for the time vortex. His eyes met Rose’s, and he gave a small, understanding smile. “It’s been a long day.”

She nodded in agreement, hiding a great yawn behind the tassels of her scarf. Jack groaned childishly and rolled his eyes, winking at Rose.

"Suppose I can live with that." He pouted for a moment, then his face settled into a genuine smile. Jack clapped the Doctor on the shoulder and held his arms out for Rose. She obliged, leaning forward and hugging him goodnight. "Sleep well, Rose." He turned back when he was nearly out of the room and pointed at the Doctor. "Doctor, behave yourself while the humans sleep!"

"Like he’ll be sleepin’," the Doctor muttered with a roll of his eyes once the Captain had departed. Rose’s lips quirked in amusement and he turned defensive. "What? Look at ‘im, he’s higher than a bloody kite."

"Think it’s the thrill of time and space at his fingertips," Rose supplied helpfully, crossing her legs and resting her head on her hand as she watched him type nonsense into the TARDIS screen. "It tends to make you a bit…" She searched for the word, her tired brain taking a little longer to supply the words. "…giddy."

The Doctor muttered to himself again in reply, too low for Rose to hear. “What?”

He glanced up. “I said, I think it’s the companions more than the destination.”

Her brow furrowed and she yawned again sleepily. “What d’you mean?”

The Doctor couldn’t help but chuckle; here Rose was, trying to continue the conversation while simultaneously falling asleep on his console room chair. He turned the computer screen off and went to stand in front of her, about to insist she go to bed, when she said, rather smugly, “Knew you weren’t doin’ anything important on there.”

His eyebrow raised and he sat beside her, pulling out the sonic and starting to install a new setting to de-fluff his jumper. “Shouldn’t you be going to bed?” he retorted, just as smug.

Rose frowned. “Yes, mum,” she grumbled, though the effect was killed when her sentence ended in a yawn. She rubbed her eyes and shook herself properly awake before sitting up straighter and looking expectantly at the Doctor. She looked for so long he started to feel uncomfortable.

"Yes, Rose?"

"What did you mean, then?" she asked, as if the question was obvious. "About the companions more than the travel, or somethin’."

"I said I thought Jack enjoyed the companions more than the destination," the Doctor corrected with a nod, continuing to play with his sonic screwdriver.

"How d’you know?"

He glanced at her; she was watching him intently, head back to resting on her hand but her eyes clear and awake.

"Well, you’ve said it before," he reminded her. "Better with two," he quoted, and Rose smiled.

"I can’t believe you remember that - that was so long ago," she sighed, smiling at the memory.

"Well, that’s what I mean," he continued. "The travellin’s all very well an’ good, but it’s a lot more fun when you’ve got someone there with you."

"Jack travelled on his own with all the Time Agent stuff," Rose recalled. "He told me."

The Doctor nodded.

"You did, too," she added, reaching out and prodding him on his leather-clad arm. He smiled slightly, then nodded again.

"I got lucky," he murmured softly, almost as if he didn’t intend to speak the thought aloud.

"So did I," Rose agreed, gazing into space. "I’m glad we found him," she decided; the Doctor snorted.

"He wasn’t a lost puppy, Rose, he was a con artist," he told her exasperatedly.

"You like him, though, I can tell," she teased. He let out a puff of breath.

"Well, Most of the time. An’ when he doesn’t try to…"

"What?"

He panicked for a full two seconds before answering with the first thought that came into his head. “Try to steal my dances,” he said defensively, then inwardly berated himself for coming out with such a childish answer.

Rose’s face lit up. “I  _knew_  you were jealous,” she declared, grinning ridiculously and her cheeks turning pink. “Look at you, the mighty Doctor, gettin’ all defensive about an ex-Time Agent?” she teased; the Doctor simply shrugged.

"Take it how you want," he replied neutrally, rubbing his sleeve on the sonic to polish it. Rose’s face twisted in thought, then she slid off the chair. After regaining her balance she stood up and held out her hand. As if on cue, a crackling sounded, then old-timey music started to play through the surrounding speakers. The song she tried to teach him to dance to while waiting for Jack to rescue them back in World War ll.

The Doctor’s eyebrow raised. “You want to dance, right now?” he questioned; Rose nodded.

"Well, jus’ one. I’m knackered," she amended, visibly stifling a yawn. Then she smiled. "C’mon, Doctor, one dance. No Jack to come interrupt, I promise."

The Doctor held eye contact with her for a moment, as if deliberating, then slotted the sonic screwdriver back into his jacket. He stood, grasped her hand with his, circled his other arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"This good?" he asked, starting to move slowly to the music.

"Mm-hmm," Ross replied contentedly, resting her mouth against his shoulder and breathing in deeply the smell of leather and wool. She closed her eyes, letting the Doctor lead her around the console room and just enjoying her time with him; he made sure to keep a firm arm supporting her around her waist for when she almost certainly fell asleep.

It took less time than expected. The song was only just three minutes, and as the Doctor drifted to a halt to the last reverberating note, Rose was sagging against him, falling in and out of sleep.

"Bed time now, I think," he murmured, uncurling her arm from around his neck and leading her slowly in the direction of the corridor. Her head flopped then snapped up, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Yes, mum," she muttered tiredly; the teasing smile was absent but the Doctor understood and smiled at the attempt. Her feet shuffled down the hall and her head was just beginning to droop again when they reached her room.

"Rose, we’re here," he told her, shaking her a little to wake her up. It worked, and she lifted her head enough to smile at him, mumble, "Night, Doctor," and place a kiss on his jaw before tottering into her room and collapsing onto the bed. He chuckled and followed her in a moment later. She was sound asleep when he reached her.

Slowly, so not to wake the exhausted 19 year old, he unwrapped her long, multicoloured scarf from around her neck and tossed it over a chair. His gaze caught on her neck when he turned back; on the sides extending from beneath her jaw, faint purplish-blue bruises were starting to form from the Slitheen’s fingers. The Doctor frowned and his teeth clenched; she must not have said anything, though it had to be hurting. He made a mental note to cart her off to the infirmary first thing in the morning to check for any lasting damage. He wouldn’t disturb her much-needed rest.

He continued; unzipped her boots, dumping them at the foot of her bed and sliding off her fingerless gloves as well, placing them next to her scarf.

"Sleep well, Rose," he murmured, tucking the blanket around her. "Thank you for the dance." Of course, there was no reply. Nor did she feel the whisper of a kiss placed gently on her forehead before the Doctor silently left the room.


End file.
